ONGC well blowout in Assam: Gas leak continues for fourth day, 70 families shifted

SIVASAGAR: Leakage of gas continued for the fourth day at a crude oil well of energy major ONGC in Assam's Sivasagar district, where around 1,500 people have been affected by the blowout and 70 families shifted to a relief camp, officials said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government is concerned about the blowout, which is yet to be controlled.

"The chief secretary has spoken to the company officials. We are in touch with ONGC and came to know that more experts have reached the spot," he told reporters in Dibrugarh.

ONGC Director (Technology & Field Services) Vikram Saxena reached the spot on Saturday and a team led by him took over operational control of well no. RDS 147, where the blowout took place.

"The well killing process is going on, and we have mobilised all necessary equipment for the same. The Crisis Management Team (CMT) is working on war-footing to control the leakage," an official told PTI.

The well has not caught fire yet and no one is injured in the incident, while all emergency services have been pressed in the area, he added.

The blowout took place on June 12 at well no. RDS 147 of rig no. SKP 135 of Rudrasagar oil field of ONGC at Barichuk of Bhatiapar. A private firm, SK Petro Services, was operating the well on behalf of the state-run Maharatna company.

"A comprehensive well control plan has been formulated, and pumping operations commenced following the successful installation and testing of essential connections," ONGC said in a statement.

A joint team of ONGC Assam Asset and the Sivasagar district administration is actively engaging with local residents, who were evacuated from nearby areas as a precautionary safety measure, it added.

A senior official of the Sivasagar district administration told PTI that around 1,500 people have been affected in the vicinity of the well.

"They are getting the smell of gas and are not able to light their stoves or burn anything. We are providing them with cooked food and constantly monitoring the situation," she added.

From the area of the blowout, 70 families have been shifted to a relief camp set up in nearby Bangaon and all necessary arrangements are being made to ensure their welfare and well-being, the Sivasagar district administration said in a Facebook post.

"There are currently doctors from the Health Department and Animal Husbandry Department at the scene. They are examining the health conditions of both people and their domestic animals," it added.

Raijor Dal president and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi visited the blowout site in the morning and discussed the ongoing exercise with senior ONGC officials.

"They tried to cap the well yesterday, but failed. They are working on it now and will be able to tell tomorrow how long it might take to finally stop the gas leakage," he told reporters after his meeting with ONGC senior officials.

Gogoi said that ONGC officials told him it might take at least three more days to fully control the well due to the huge pressure of gas.

"They also told me about a geographical wonder. This was a crude oil well, but they discovered a huge reserve of gas. According to them, this well alone can supply gas to entire Assam for the next 125 years," he claimed.

An official of ONGC had earlier said that it was an old crude well without production and a perforation job was going on for zone transfer at the time of the blowout.

"It is a kind of servicing of the well. The production was supposed to start from a new zone after the perforation job. At the time of the incident, the logging perforation operation was going on. Suddenly gas started coming out in an uncontrolled manner immediately after the perforation, leading to the blowout," he had added.

This ONGC incident reminded people of the worst industrial disaster of the Northeast in 2020, when an OIL well blowout took away the lives of three employees of the PSU major and injured several others.

Well no. 5 at Baghjan in Tinsukia district spewed gas uncontrollably for 173 days since May 27 and it caught fire on June 9, 2020.

In a multi-agency effort, the damaged gas well at Baghjan in Assam was 'killed' and the blaze was fully doused on November 15, followed by abandoning of the well on December 3 in 2020 after completing all steps to control it.